Which Seattle Seahawks Games Will Be Worth the Trip Down South?

It’s a time honoured tradition: Waiting hours at the Canada-U.S. border in the pouring rain in a bid to catch the Seattle Seahawks in action at the impressive CenturyLink Field.

But while the stadium remains a sight to behold, its occupants might leave a little to be desired this year.

Last year, the Seahawks showed they may finally be fading. The usually reliable powerhouse missed the playoffs for the first time in six years—and just the fourth time in 14—with a 9-7 record.

The offseason wasn’t great either, as fans witnessed a cavalcade of recognizable names hit the newswire, and not in a good way.

Star safety Kam Chancellor retired, while cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive end Cliff Avril were released. Another prominent safety, Earl Thomas, remains embroiled in a holdout with the team, insisting that he won’t show up at camp unless he’s offered a new contract for next season.

The team’s legendary Legion of Boom unit—perhaps the greatest defensive secondary ever compiled in the NFL—is all but gone after the losses of Sherman and Chancellor.

But the Seahawks still do have feisty head coach Pete Carroll and one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Russell Wilson, so they can’t be counted out.

Here’s a rundown of all the home games Seattle will play this year, ranked by whether they will be worth the trip to Trump’s America.

Book Time Off Right Now

Week 5 vs. Los Angeles Rams – Sunday, October 7

After starting the season off with four interesting—albeit not exactly incredible—teams, the Seahawks face their first real test of the season against the reigning division champion Rams.

This should be one of the more entertaining games the Seahawks play all year. It also falls on Thanksgiving weekend for us Canadians. On the one hand, you won’t have to worry about getting Monday off work. On the other, it’ll be jam-packed at the Peace Arch. Might as well take Friday off and make a weekend out of it.

Week 16 vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday, December 23

One of the best teams in the league comes to town and it just so happens to be in the penultimate game of the season, when the Seahawks’ playoff hopes could be on the line.

The Chiefs are one of the most exciting teams in the NFL and could very well be Super Bowl-bound this season.

It’s a Sunday night game, but you have Christmas Eve off work, right? If you don’t care about disappointing your family, you’re good to go.

Make a Game Time Decision

Week 3 vs. Dallas Cowboys – Sunday, September 23

The home opener is always rowdy. But while the Cowboys come with some hefty name recognition, they aren’texactly a powerhouse these days. The atmosphere will be electric. The game? Maybe not so much.

Week 13 vs. San Francisco 49ers – Sunday, December 2

Richard Sherman coming back to face the ‘Hawks? A division rivalry game? A hyped 49ers team with a new quarterback and a supposedly awesome new offence? This game has a ton of good ingredients. The Sunday night game time is a bit problematic, but maybe you can hoof it back that evening.

The TV Will Suffice

Week 11 vs. Green Bay Packers – Thursday, November 15

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers returns to a place he knows quite well. Rodgers is now the highest-paid player in the NFL, and Seahawks fans love giving him grief. It’s sure to make for a highly competitive (and full of name-calling) affair.

All of which begs the question: Why did the schedulers have to put this one on a Thursday night?

Week 14 vs. Minnesota Vikings – Monday, December 10

The Vikings went to the NFC Championship last year andadded to both their offence and defence this year. They’ll be one of the best teams in the league (uh, the Seahawks have a pretty rough schedule as it turns out), and should be exciting as well.

The only problem is that it’s on a Monday night. That’s at least one vacation day out the window, and if you decide to stay over in the Emerald City, that Airbnb ain’t gonna be cheap.

Skip it

Week 9 vs. Los Angeles Chargers – Sunday, November 4

It’s an indication of how stacked the Seahawks home schedule is that the Chargers make the “skip it” list. The team formerly from San Diego is expected to be good this year, and this’ll probably make for a perfectly fine November game.

The Seahawks will attempt to shut down the Chargers’ passing game though, and that might make for a bit of a snooze fest, as both teams try to run the ball and manage the clock.

Week 17 vs. Arizona Cardinals – Sunday, December 30

Week 17 games either mean everything or nothing to the teams involved. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cardinals out of the playoff race by Week 10 or so, meaning that the importance of this contest will be left up to the Seahawks.

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